GMAT Prep Verbal - SEntence Correction

[RonPurewal]

Hi Ron,

Can you please explain this question with regard to the use of "because of" and "due to" in each of the options.

How to eliminate the options on the basis of their usage?

Thank you

read here:
post29817.html#p29817

[depti]

In California, a lack of genetic variation in the Argentine ant has allowed the species to spread widely; due to their being so genetically similar to one another, the ants consider all their fellows to be a close relative and thus do not engage in the kind of fierce inter colony struggles that limits the spread of this species in its native
Argentina.
A. due to their being so genetically similar to one another, the ants consider all their fellows to be a close relative and thus do not engage in the kind of fierce inter colony struggles that limits.
B. Due to its being so genetically similar the ant considers all its fellows to be a close relative and thus does not engage in the kind of fierce inter colony struggles that limit.
C. Because it is so genetically similar, the ant considers all its fellows to be close relatives and thus does not engage in the kind of fierce inter colony struggles that limits.
D. Because they are so genetically similar to one another, the ants consider all their fellows to be close relatives and thus do not engage in the kind of fierce intercolony struggles that limit.
E. Because of being so genetically similar to one another, the ants consider all their fellows to be a close relative and thus do not engage in the kind of fierce intercolony struggles that limits.


i chose ans C..becaue of "its" used in question. In D option they and its are not matching .

Please clarify Ron

[jlucero]

i chose ans C..becaue of "its" used in question. In D option they and its are not matching .

Please clarify Ron

its refers back to species, so having a singular or plural ant/ants does not matter in this instance. You can have a group of things that is then later referred to in the sentence as a single entity:

The people that make up the army are the reason that the army is able to win its battles.

The ants that are from Argentina are a particularly aggressive species that will attack its predators.

[sachin.w]

Whats wrong with A apart from the SV issue : 'limits' ?

Do you think 'being' is correctly being used here?

[RonPurewal]

Whats wrong with A apart from the SV issue : 'limits' ?

* "due to" is used incorrectly. (try replacing it with "caused by" -- something you should always be able to do, if it is used correctly -- and you'll see what's wrong.)

* "the ants consider all their fellows to be a close relative (singular)" is nonsense; the ants cannot consider all fellow members of their species to be one close relative.

Do you think 'being' is correctly being used here?

it's certainly not incorrect, although, again, "due to" is not used correctly.

[sachin.w]

thanks Ron :)

[RonPurewal]

sure

[rohitowe99]

Hi Ron,

Can we discard C through the following line of thought:

Option C: because it is so genetically similar, the ant considers........

similar to what?

The correct option D, on the other hand, clearly mentions that they are similar to one another.

[RonPurewal]

Hi Ron,

Can we discard C through the following line of thought:

Option C: because it is so genetically similar, the ant considers........

similar to what?

The correct option D, on the other hand, clearly mentions that they are similar to one another.

yes you can. well done.

[dheeraj787]

Hi Ron, Please clarify my following doubts:

1. In option D, Can "they" modify to species ? if not, why not ?

2. In option B, Can the first "Its" modify to "ant" in the sentence before the semicolon ? if not why not ?

Thanks

[RonPurewal]

1. In option D, Can "they" modify to species ? if not, why not ?

"Species" is singular in this sentence.

That noun has the same form in both the singular and the plural: 1 species; 2 species; 647 species. (the same is true for, say, "fish" or "deer"). But, in this sentence, it's quite clear that we are talking about only 1 species.

[RonPurewal]

2. In option B, Can the first "Its" modify to "ant" in the sentence before the semicolon ? if not why not ?

It's nonsense to say that just one thing is "similar".

If you don't see why, just make up a couple of examples.
This bird is similar. (Huh?)
These two birds are similar. (Makes sense.)

[momo32]

Dear Ron，

Can you explain the choice C? Should we use limit in C?

THX

[RonPurewal]

Should we use limit in C?

THX

What does the correct answer do?

[RonPurewal]

Also, regarding choice C, take a moment to ponder whether it's possible to describe one thing as "similar".

Not "similar to" something else--nope, just "similar".

...nonsense.